About our Lab
We are part of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), which is one of the 8 Institutes of the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH), the largest research institution of Greece. We are also affiliated with the Medical School of the University of Crete. Our group was the first to commence C. elegans research in Greece, in mid-2001.
Read more... Research Focus
Ageing & Metabolism
Ageing and senescence are complex processes that dramatically impact human health and society.
Neurodegeneration
Cell death plays pivotal roles in normal development, and homeostasis but, when either inappropriately implemented or blocked, contributes to severe pathological conditions.
Sensory integration
In all organisms, the nervous system receives information about the environment via specialized sensory organs.
Latest Research Publications
The nuclear shredder behind PARPi resistance.
Phase separation meets energy generation to boost longevity.
For the love of frontier research, or why Elon's rockets keep blowing up.
News
20.07.2026
Research from the Tavernarakis group at IMBB is published as a featured article in Nature Communications. It reveals a previously unknown cellular mechanism that contributes to the maintenance of neural function and promotes longevity.
The research team, consisting of Dr. Aggeliki Sotiriou and Dr. Georgios Konstantinidis, led by Professor Nektarios Tavernarakis, revealed the critical role of a specialized enzyme in protecting nerve cells through cellular recycling mechanisms. This process is crucial for preserving cognitive and motor abilities during ageing.
15.12.2025
IMBB Seminar
From High-Resolution Profiling to Drug Discovery: Learning New Biology from Patients and Humanized Models
- Nikos KOURTIS, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Date: 2025-12-15 @ 13:00 - 14:00
Location: Seminar Room 1 "Costas Fotakis”, FORTH’s bldg
Host: N. Tavernarakis
18.11.2025
The Honorary Award ceremony will take place on Friday, 21 November 2025, at 17:00, at the Ionian Academy, in Corfu.
05.05.2025
Cell Biology of the Nervous System: Cellular Mechanisms of Communication
Crete, Greece
Abstract Book | Program | Poster
05.05.2024
Jay Panda has been awarded a competitive FENS and IBRO-PERC Scholarship, to attend the course "Neural Circuit Development and Plasticity", in Utrecht, Netherlands!
22.12.2023
The lab was awarded a highly competitive Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI) Research Grant to pursue the research project GliaAge (Deciphering the role of glial autophagy in neurophysiology and ageing using in vivo chemo-optogenetics)!
Multiphoton Microscopy
Multiphoton microscopy has emerged as a powerful tool for understanding tissue architecture, cell structure and dynamics, and is routinely used to determine spatial and topological information about cells and tissues.
Awards
